Finding a great moisturizer that won’t irritate your skin is not as straightforward as some brands may claim. “Product labels that say ‘hypoallergenic’ or ‘sensitivity tested’ do not guarantee that you won't experience a skin reaction. There are no rules about how these terms can be used on a label,” Dr. Hadley King, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, explains to Mic. But by scanning the ingredients list, you can see that the best hypoallergenic lotions for dry skin are free from the most common irritants — and that they do contain a proven combo of hydrating ingredients.
“Almost any ingredient could cause an allergic reaction but fragrances and preservatives are often to blame. Even products that are labeled as ‘unscented’ may still contain fragrance and can therefore still cause an allergic reaction,” says Dr. King. To help avoid irritation, Dr. King suggests choosing products that are labeled “fragrance-free” and keeping an eye out for potentially irritating preservatives like parabens, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, phenoxyethanol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and formaldehyde.
